I'd curve the planting bed from the foundation out toward the walkway in front, and add a small speciman tree in the middle of the yard on the right side of the house. If it's in the budget, I'd enlarge the patio step by the front door before you plant.

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Great ideas! Simple yet impactful! Thank you for sharing your gift

Some option to go with scrubs

No squiggly bed lines. They look ridiculous and they're a real PITA for mowing. Also, if the house faces west, I'd want at least one small tree for shade from the hottest sun of the day. I'd place it front on the right side of the door, away from the house, connecting the tree to the house with a large bed that eventually would be planted with shade plants. And I'd probably place another small tree, not the same type, to the left, pulled out from the front a similar way, but maybe not as far.

Great point about the mowing and offering more shade to the front of the house! Thank you very much!

I'd put some broadleaf evergreens on the north facing side. Rhodos, mt laurel.

I rarely say this, but if I were to pick one thing to spend my time maintaining it would be to create long thin flower beds on either side of the walkway. The rest of the front, nearer to the house, I would put in low maintenence ornamental bushes or dwarf trees. I’d do something to make the steps to your front door much more visible — re-do the steps in brick or paint them if they are concrete or wood.

I’d also take away the shutters.

But that long straight line to the front door is charming, and flowers up either side could be magic. Even just a whole lotta marigolds every year would be fun, or white and pink impatiens. But it would be work.

weed wakers make a great trimming tool. never met a plan square bed that added much character, scrolling beds add some contrast to a plain square house. so I agree with Dig Doug.

We have curved beds on either side of our straight walkway too, and with concrete edging they are no problem to mow. Being that the front of the house faces west the idea of a large tree or trees that provide some shade eventually is a good one. We are in zone 5b and the afternoon sun is intense in northern Utah.

You have a simple facade, so keep the planting simple. Accent the existing maple with a purple smokebush (Cotinus coggygria) planted in the opposite corner (the right side of the front). Smokebush can be pruned to size, or even limbed up into a small tree when it is mature. This is selection ’Royal Purple.’

Add one of the more subtle selections of golden juniper as a footer. I like the layered growth habit of this selection. I think it’s ‘Gold Star,” but I’m not certain.

Then add somthing with a bluish cast. This is Dwarf Blue Globe Spruce.

So those are your three main shapes and colors. I like DDD’s idea for a lawn tree. There are a few Japnese maple selections that are surprisingly sun tolerant. One of them is Bloodgood, and another is the trademarked selection “Emperor One’ (which was bred from Bloodgood). I would train and prune this to an airy, spreading form.

For the north side of your house, if you want some gorgeous plants to insert into that groundcover, consider Pieris japonica.

Per above, this is Pieris japonica ’Flaming Silver.’

large tree in center of south-west plot is critical for shade. crimson king maple would be nice and colorful. in southwest corner of bed a colorado blue spruce would help to cover air conditioning unit placed there. skyrocket junipers or alberta spruce placed between small windows for height. fill in with birds nest spruce or low contrast golden juniper. small circle of perenials at the base of walk would give color and interest. trying to keep costs down for newlyweds. Do not over plant most people do. black mulch against grey brick looks good .

slight curvature of beds is eye appealing, nothing too extreme for cutting. under bay window on north/west side maybe a dwarf limelight bush for color and contrast. other place for perenials could surround the base of the crimson king ( shade loving ).

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